DWM-01 &Â WFF-34 &Â WFP-29
Short Clip
THE HUSBAND’S MANDATE
There are, of course, many passages in the Bible that speak of the man’s part in marriage. Some of the key passages are Genesis 3:16; Ephesians 5: 23-33: 1 Timothy 3:4,5; Psalm 128; 1 Peter 3:7: 1 Corinthians 7:3,4: Proverbs 5:15-19; Colossians 3:19. As I read these passages I hear God saying that the husband has two primary responsibilities to his wife.
1. He is to be his wife’s leader.
2. He is to be his wife’s lover.
The husband is to be his wife’s leader (Eph 5:23; 1 Tim. 3: 4, 5, 12; 1 Cor. 11:3). Matthew 20:20-28 gives us the Bible’s concept of a leader.
Husbands, God calls you to be your wife’s leader. This means that you must be your wife’s servant, that you must spend much time with her, that you must give her useful, scriptural, and practical instruction, that you must be a good example to her, and that you must make decisions and delegate responsibilities in your home. Of the many elements involved in developing genuine oneness, none is more important than this one. Unquestionably, it is the other side of the marital coin. If genuine oneness is to be experienced, the lifestyle of the wife must be genuine biblical submission. Conversely, the lifestyle of the husband must be the kind of leadership that has just been described. But the Bible not only says that the husband must be his wife’s leader, it also asserts that he is to be his wife’s lover. Conclusion. Husbands, God calls you to be your wife’s leader and lover. To some extent we have seen what that means. But knowing what it means is of little value unless it is applied to your relationship with your wife. Knowing these facts will not promote oneness in marriage. Performing them will.
I ask you, therefore, to seriously examine your relationship with your wife in the light of these truths. Look back over what we have seen about your responsibility to be your wife’s leader and lover.
1. Specifically note areas where you are failing and where you should improve. When you have identified those areas: make confession of your sin to God and to your wife (1 John 1:9; Matt. 5:23, 24; James 5;16).
2. Seek cleansing from this sin and all your sins through the blood of Christ (Eph. 1:7).
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for power to be different (Luke 11:13; Gal. 5:16, 22, 23).
4. Move out in obedience to the Word of God, and make the necessary changes (Phil 2:12,13,13; James 1:19-24).